Free Screenings Offered

During Diabetes Alert

Nearly 50 hospitals in South Florida will participate in The American Diabetes Alert on Tuesday by conducting free glucose screenings and providing a written test to help identify those with diabetes.

Sponsored by the American Diabetes Association, in conjunction with the American Dietetic Association, the Alert will run from 8 a.m. to noon. Registered dietitians will be present to answer questions about nutrition and diabetes management.

A prime goal is to find those who have the disease but do not know it. Of the 14 million Americans believed to have diabetes, about half are unaware of their condition, said dietitian Judith Hamlet, the American Diabetes Alert chairwoman.

"Hispanics, older adults, African-Americans, people with diabetes in the family and those who are overweight are particularly at risk," Hamlet said. "These risk factors are particularly high in South Florida, and getting screened is really crucial."

Diabetes is the fourth-leading cause of death by disease in this country, but it can be prevented in many cases through changes in lifestyle, said Dr. Louis Chaykin, a member of the American Diabetes Association's national board of directors.

"Parents owe it to their children, sisters to brothers, grandparents to grandchildren, to be screened for diabetes and educated about how to prevent or manage this deadly disease," Chaykin said.